Because he is a man of deep understanding and compassion, and because he apparently accrued some medical credentials since he lost his House race in Florida recently, still-Rep. Allen West (R-Fla) has announced his diagnosis of Hillary Clinton’s recent illness and fall (which caused a concussion): SHE’S FAKING!

Calling Clinton’s circumstances and subsequent sick-leave “a case of the Benghazi flu,” West makes clear he’s jumped on the conspiracy bandwagon when it comes to the timing of Clinton’s fall.

Clinton, 65, was scheduled to offer her testimony at the congressional hearing on the attack on the U.S. embassy in Benghazi but has postponed that appearance due to her condition. Despite her recent personal assessment of herself as having “incredible stamina and energy,” [source: Huffington Post] she has had an intense schedule this past year, one taking her back and forth across the globe in situations of great political significance, requiring all her skills as a diplomat and negotiator. And despite the fact that many believe she can walk on water (or at least win the presidency in 2016), she is human and, like anyone else, can get sick. Sick enough to need some bed rest and time off.

While most reasonable people understand that illness and injury rarely take scheduling considerations in mind, the meme of “Hillary’s faking it” — started by John Bolton, former U.N. Ambassador under George W. Bush — has picked up steam. Huffington Post reported:

John Bolton […] suggested Clinton fabricated a “diplomatic illness” in order to dodge her scheduled testimony.

The State Department criticized Bolton’s “completely untrue” comments. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Bolton is “not privy to any inside information” and referred to his remarks as “wild speculation.”

Despite the State Department’s rebuttal and the clear evidence that Clinton is, indeed, ill, injured and in necessary recovery mode post-concussion, West, never one to let facts mess up his fiction, climbed up on his bully pulpit at Fox News today to echo Bolton’s aspersions:

“I’m not a doctor, but it seems as though…the Secretary of State has come down with a case of Benghazi flu,” West said on “Fox and Friends.” “I think we have to get to the bottom of this. There’s still a very countless amount of unanswered questions.”

When a highly respected cabinet member cannot get sick and suffer a fall and concussion – not small things – without being accused of “faking” for the sake of political expediency, we’ve once again stepped beyond the pale. But let’s be clear; while there are likely many questions still to be answered in the Benghazi story, the most honest and salient part of West’s statement is: “I’m not a doctor.”

Luckily for us, Allen West will soon also not be a member of the House of Representatives.